When I was young me father said to me, he said to me He said never take advice when it comes for free Cause you can have all the riches of the golden kind But without the riches of your peace of mind He said you won't make old bones You won't make old bones You won't make old bones you'll see And as the old men sit and curse times slipping sand, slipping sand I sit and I curse the time upon my hands And the north wind blows like a song of the sea The song that it carries comes quite plain to me And says you won't make old bones ..... Now there is some folks make remarks and me fetals in frown, me fetals in frown And says the only way you can get up is when they turn you down Now everybody gives me the same advice They said go sign up for the soldiers life or You won't make old bones....... So I went to the army like everybody told me to do, they told me to do They said we'd love to make a soldier out of you But before I put me name down on the line Me fathers words came to me on time, he said You won't make old bones .... I said your guns and your drums are not for the likes of me, the likes of me For me future it might look bleaker than bleak can be 'Cause your talk of many owing much to few When all that I wanted was a job to do, he said You won't make old bones....... So you people in power and position I tell you beware, I tell you beware Of your tacts and your figures to tell you what went where 'Cause your facts and your figures are the likes of me And don't try and tell me how me life should be or You won't make old bones....